George blanchard



N.FTERS. PMOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGToN, clv C i i GEORGE BLANCHARD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

LIFE-SAVING IRAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 12,405, dated February 20, 1.855.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE BLANCHARD, of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and improved marine raft for the preservation -of human life in cases of shipwreck or other disasters, such as occur to vessels navigating vthe oceans or other waters; and I do hereby and a good and firm support is given to the entire structure and the raft put in a useful condition at a moments notice.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct air tight metallic floats, in any of the known forms,.three or more, and apply thereto, three or more metallic bolts substantially connected to the floats, and then I apply metallic levers with joints to them connected with the metallic bolts a, as shown at a, on the accompanying drawing; and I also connect two or more metallic bars, c, to the end joints of the metallic levers, by means of bolting or riveting these metallic levers, b, to the bars c, which are to slide in metallic cases, d; and I also have springs E fastened to the ends of the metallic bars c, to act as locks or spring catches, when the raft is lowered over the side of the vessel, and opened to the desired distance; these metallic bars, c, are put in motion by the weight of the raft, in the act of lowering it; the metallic cases, d, are to be bolted or riveted to the joints of the metallic levers, b, which have an opposite motion to the joints to which the metallic bars, c, are fastened; the metallic levers, B, are connected to the metallic bars, c, and these bars, c, have spring catches, E, bolted or riveted on their ends these bars, c, and the springs E, slide in metallic cases D, the springs, E, escape and take effect on the edges of the metallic cases, D, to secure the raft when opened at the desired distance.

v I connect the ends of chains F, to the bolts A, and to the centers of these chains F, are connected perpendicular ybolts G; and, the upper ends of the metallic bolts, G, are to .be bolted to the central joints of the metallic levers B, the object of these chains F, and the bolts G, are to form additional lifting braces, or supporters to the connecting levers B, when the passengers are on the raft. I also add additional safety connecting chains K, which are also made fast to the metallic bolts A, and are brought to 'bear on the outside of the oats to prevent them from spreading. yI also provide folding stanchions H, with joints, and also metallic sliding boxes I, to slide over the joints, when the stanchions H, are unfolded for use, to secure them in an upright position, the obj ect of these being to connect life ropes to them. I also add a canvas deck to the raft, which is connected to the bolts A; this canvas has slats J, made of wood or metal made fast to it, several inches apart, forming a deck for passengers, which can be folded up into a very small compass.

What I claim as of my invention and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent isl. The arrangement of the toggle or jointed levers, B, in relation to the buoyant cylinders or floats and the catchesor locks C, D, E, by which when let fall the raft by its own weight is extended andlocked and made entirely ready for immediate use, as herein set forth. Y

2. I claim the arrangement of the braces G with the chains F and K in connection with the Hoats orbuoyant cylinders and jointed levers for the better sustaining of the bed formed by the extended levers and for the holdin of the parts of the raft together in a su ciently firm and yet yielding condition to enable the raft to be a safe and well sustained life preserving structure as herein described.

GEORGE BLANCHARD.

Witnesses:

JOHN Y. BRYANT, J. S. PoLLAnD. 

